Previously: Kai and Hilary went to dinner, where Hilary demanded that he share something real with her. Will Kai answer?

Communication is key. Which is something I wish my door had.

"You?"

"Yeah, I have nothing to hide."

"Go ahead then,"

"Actually," I say a moment later, after considering what I can share about myself. "I don't know where to start. Is there something you want to know?"

Kai stares at me a moment longer before his firm expression breaks, relaxing into something more lively. "For the sake of pretending we're in love?"

I nod enthusiastically. "Yes. Of course. What other reason could there be?" Other than my desire to know more and more about him with every passing interaction. Somehow after a week of close encounters (including sleeping under the same roof, plotting a diabolical scheme, meeting the family, and kissing) I still feel like I know nothing about him - nothing that forms a complete picture. It's all just bits and pieces that are loosely connected in one person. I know there's so much more to him.

"What's the real reason you can't stand your cousins?"

"Emily and the twins? That's what you want to know about?"

"I'm curious. I understand why I struggle with my family. You have a perfectly normal life and yet nothing positive to say about them."

I lean on the table, thinking about it. He has a point. "I wouldn't say that I hate my cousins. We're just competitive."

"When did it start?"

"I don't know. Emily always brags and the twins have a superiority complex. I'm the youngest of the bunch, so I had a lot to keep up with. It was very 'eat or be eaten' with them. This didn't come up in your background check?"

He doesn't say anything, which I'm getting used to it. It's more annoying than unsettling, since I know he's thinking about something. I just can't tell what about.

Taking the silence as an opening to keep talking, I fill him in on my relationship with my cousins.

"King and Queen are the oldest. Growing up, they took their names very seriously and never let us forget them. They're pretty and they're rich." I hold out my hand, "Not Hiwatari rich, by any means, but they went to exclusive private schools and took semi-annual vacations to exotic locations. You know the kind."

"I do," Kai agrees. He's listening attentively, leaning on one hand on the table so that we're closer together and don't have to speak as loud. Unlike the other day when we were in his office, this feels less like a challenge to rise to and more like a welcoming.

"They were bullies growing up. Completely and unjustifiably mean. I used to hate family gatherings if they were going to be there. At the same time, that's the only thing that brought Emily and me together. Banding against them gave us a reason to."

"The enemy of my enemy," Kai adds. "What happened?"

I'm on a roll, unable to stop myself now. "The twins grew up, and by that I mean they were teenagers while Emily and I were still" -I shudder, pretending to be disgusted at the thought- "children. I guess, without them as a common enemy, Emily drifted. Suddenly, instead of sharing our ideas and interests, we were trying to out do each other. She's a year older and found what she wanted out of life early on, so it was easy for her to win every round. She held everything over my head. I could never figure out why." I come out of my thoughts to see Kai watching me with unrestrained interest.

"May I suggest therapy?"

"You know, you're not the first person to suggest that this week. I'm beginning to think I may have a problem," I laugh, taking a sip of my water to help cool my flushed face. I usually don't talk about myself this much. Especially about the conflicts in my family.

Our waiter arrives, setting our food down with a flourish. The smell wafts up and suddenly I can't believe how hungry I am. The small piece of fish glistens under the dim lighting. Next to it are even portions of bright green, broccolini, and a stack of French fries, leaning against each other as if to resemble a campfire. Poking it, it tumbles, revealing a total of twelve fries. I almost feel bad, considering how much they're probably charging Kai. Copying him closely, I unroll my cloth napkin and set the silverware aside to place it in my lap. Using the fork to tear off a piece of the fish, I pop it in my mouth.

Hmm. It's definitely fish. Don't know why I expected fireworks.

Kai doesn't seem all that impressed with his plate either. He doesn't eat with the vigor I saw the other night when Rei cooked. His jaw moves mechanically, chewing bite after bite, but there's no life to it.

"You were saying," he says, rotating his knife to keep me going.

"Oh." I have to think back. "There's not much more to tell. Once we were in high school, the twins were already at college and Emily had her sights set on me. Whatever I did, she had to do better."

"Was she actually competing against you or was she just doing better and you took it personally?"

This is the first time someone has said something like this to me. It's also the first I've ever shared my thoughts on the matter with someone who's not my parents or a close friend. Still, it comes as quite a shock.

I stumble and stutter over my words, sitting back in the chair. "Why wouldn't I take it personally? She never let me have one thing of my own – she always had to be better."

"Some people are just better," he shrugs, that same arrogance that I thought I was beginning to like shining through. "Doesn't mean you have to react to it."

I stab my fish with my fork. "Speaking from personal experience?"

Kai tilts his head. "Meaning?"

"What's the deal between you and cousins?"

He doesn't blink. "We're fine."

I don't believe that. "Ralf is the oldest. Why isn't he more involved with the company?"

"He doesn't want to be."

"His father wants him to be," I push. Every comment Gideon made at the table last night was just a way to drag his son into the conversation. He has higher hopes for Ralf than their grandfather.

"Gideon?" Kai chuckled. "Gideon wants a lot of things. I try to make sure he gets as little as possible."

"At Ralf and Salima's expense, because you're just better?"

He takes another bite of the chicken; I assume to occupy his mouth so he doesn't have to answer. Shaking my head, I return to my meal.

"Hilary," Kai calls my attention. "I am better than them. Are you better than Emily?"

I can't find an answer to his question. On paper, no, I'm clearly not even on the same level as her. One look at our careers and personal lives and it's easy to see just who's more successful. I carry on, going back to my original topic.

"Eventually, we calmed down. Got jobs. She got married and now has a bouncing baby something on the way," I take a drink of the water and clear my throat. "And that's where you came in. You're all caught up."

"Hmm," he replies.

"What?"

"Nothing,"

"No, that 'hmm' meant something."

Kai shakes his head. "You're very sensitive when it comes to your family."

Okay. And? "You would know," I mutter as I shove a fry in my mouth. Time for a subject change. "Do you know you're going to tell your aunt about my little miswording?"

"Your mistake?"

I glare at his deep chuckle.

"Not yet," he continues. "She'll spend a few days twisting over it, trying to find out what we're hiding. By then I'll have figured out something."

"You can always say I was off my birth control," I offer lightly as I take another bite. "That's what happened to a co-worker of mine a few years ago."

"What was that?"

"She had to go off her birth control pills for a few weeks because she got sick and needed antibiotics or something. So she and her husband had to be careful until she was back on them for a while."

He sets his silverware down and daps his lips with the napkin. "Are you on birth control?"

I huff, startled by the directness. "Why do you need to know?"

"My aunt is a doctor. She'll get your medical records."

My eyes bulge. "Is that legal?"

"I think you're missing the whole point of my family and why we're doing this."

"If she even thinks of messing with my medical records, I will make such a scene, your family will regret the day -"

"Everything alright here?" The waiter zips in, stopping at our table. He eyes me with weariness, his gaze going to Kai as if he expects me to leap across the table to strangle my dinner partner and it would be up to him to stop me.

I bite my lips shut, trying to grin through the embarrassment.

"Yes," Kai answers. He's not even trying to hold back his wide egotistically smirk. "Just the check, please."

The waiter removes our plates as I try to pick the last fry off of mine before it disappears from sight. The waiter sneers at me.

"I hope you're not full," Kai continues. "There's a dessert shop just down the road I thought we could stop by."

I smile, flattered by his thoughtfulness. "I never took you for a dessert kind guy,"

"I'm not. This is supposed to look like a date."

"Well, then I'm surprised on both accounts. How'd you learn to treat a lady? Was there a class at your all-boys prep school in London? I assume you passed with flying colors."

Cheering at the chance I had to turn the conversation back to him, I stare pleasantly at his unamused expression. The waiter drops off the check and within seconds, Kai had his card slipped into the little black book and it's whisked away.

"We have a meeting with my accountant Tuesday morning. You'll get your own card and access to the accounts. There are just some forms to fill out."

"Don't think I don't notice how you never answer my important questions,"

"I know you do. You'd be an idiot if you didn't."

We stare at each other, waiting for the other to fold. It's not going to be him, I know that, but I can't let him think I break easily either. The waiter returns with his card and he breaks away to scribble on the receipt with a quick swish of his wrist. Standing, Kai comes around to help me out of my chair like the lady I'm pretending to be. Taking off his suit jacket, he wraps it around my shoulders. It's not the first time I've borrowed a man's jacket. I've had boyfriends before, and I've been known to steal my dad's on occasion. All this is to say, that I know when the weight settles on me, it feels very different than any time before.

With his hands resting over my covered shoulders, he leans down behind me. "I excel at everything I try," he says lowly. "However, there weren't any classes at my school that taught me this."

I don't know what to make of this comment, so when Kai holds out his arm for me, I hook mine into his without a word. No one looks at us as we pass their tables. The waiters hustle around, doing their jobs and barely giving us a glance. Despite all this, I feel like I'm walking a red carpet with a thousand eyes all on me.

This is the case as soon as we step outside. Well, maybe not a thousand, but the cameras flashing does give runway vibes. I step towards the curb to wait for our car, but Kai pulls me, nodding down the street away from the cameras and people shouting his name.

"Let's walk. It's a nice night," he says, slipping his hand into mine. The way his fingers lock around mine and the warmth that spreads through me is already starting to feel familiar. "So, what was school for like for you?"

"Easy enough. I was class president for three years."

He nods.

"My parents worked hard to send me to mid-level private school so that I had a chance at a good university. I made a lot of friends there. Other than Emily, of course."

"It's good that you went to a private school,"

I smile at the fond memories. "It was a good opportunity for me."

"I meant that it looks better for me to be dating someone with a good background. It'll be easier to explain what we have in common."

I sigh, suffering through his annoyingly logical thought process. I'm surprised by his willingness to be in public, especially without Rick. As we stroll, I mention this to him. With what I can only describe as a wicked gleam, his eyes dart to a car that's following us at a distance. It's difficult to see through the tinted windows, but I have a sinking realization.

"I'm sorry," I sputter in disbelief, "but did you drive us to dinner while having Spencer and Rick follow and sit in their car for " - I have to check his wristwatch for the time -"almost two hours?"

"Rick is my bodyguard and I wanted us to be alone. This is a compromise." He looks at me, already knowing the answer to his next question, "Or would you rather have Rick join us?"

"How is Rick supposed to guard your body when he's not even in the building?" I turn away. "It's not right, Kai."

"They've been fed."

"They've been fed? Kai, they're not pets."

"Then why do they act like pets?" He steers us into a fancy dessert shop, various cakes and pastries in a bright display case, a colorful row of gelatos, and a full menu of specialty coffees, teas, and hot chocolates along the wall. Overwhelmed by the options, I step close to examine each dessert closely.

"They all look so good," I mumble.

"Get a few. Whatever you want."

I roll my eyes, standing up so that I can see just how superior he thinks he is. "That's not the point of coming to a place like this."

"No?"

"No. It's to delight is a small treat. To really get in tune with what your heart truly wants, just for a moment."

He holds up his hands in defeat. "Sorry for interrupting," he says.

I return to the case, making sure to get an eye full of each item before moving on to the next. After, I look at each flavor in the gelato case. Clearly, some are more popular than others. Though it's a warm night, I'm not in the mood for anything cold.

"I think I've got it," I stand up. Not sensing Kai around, I look through the shop and find him watching me from one of the tables, leaning his head on a propped-up hand. "Do you already know what you want?"

"Yes," Kai answers, rising so that we can stand in line together. While we wait, I put my arms through the sleeves of his jacket so that I don't have to worry about it falling while I'm eating. Full of excitment, I place my order for a pastry and warm drink and then wait for him. I'm not at all surprised but a little put off when he asks for a small black coffee.

"You seem disappointed," he mentions, as he sips on his coffee while we head out of the shop.

I take a small bite out of the pastry I ordered, the buttery, flakey bread melting on my tongue. These were the fireworks I was expected at dinner. "You ordered coffee," I pout.

"I told you I wasn't a dessert person,"

"I know."

"Then why are you disappointed?"

He's laughing at me. Not out loud, but I can hear it in his voice.

"I just wanted to see what'd you'd pick. I still don't believe you when you say that you don't have a favorite food. You have to enjoy something." I finish the pastry as we wait for the valet to return with his car.

"I enjoyed the walk," he says. "I enjoyed the look on your face when I ordered."

The urge to mock his words bubbles up but I hold it back. Just because he's making fun of me doesn't mean I need to stoop to his level. When the valet brings his car around, I wait for Kai to open the door just like he told me to. Before getting in, I wave to the remaining cameramen, despite Kai's mumbled cursing as he firmly shuts the door.

"Really?" Kai asks.

"Let me have the spotlight for a moment,"

"They're the ones that called you a prostitute this morning,"

"Well, maybe they won't do that if they see how nice I am," I smile as he drives off silently. "You seem disappointed."

He shakes his head. In the light of the dashboard screen, I can see his jaw working and I know I've irritated him. All things considered, this isn't the worst thing I've done and he'll get over it, so I allow myself to be pleased with my comeback.

"Speaking of disappointment," I continue just to have something to say, "how is the rest of your family responding to last night?"

This makes him laugh. "I haven't spoken to any of them, but I assume they're fine. As much as they can be."

'Fine' in that they're probably lying in wait. I also take note that 'fine' is also what he said about Ralf and that maybe 'fine' doesn't actually mean anything to Kai.

"I told my mom this morning about quitting my job and having to move,"

"And?"

"After yelling at me, she understood. Oh! I also told her that we're living apart because of my grandparents. They waited until after they were married to move in together and they have one of the best marriages I've ever seen."

He takes a moment to mull over this idea, but I see it in his eyes the second he accepts it. "That's not a bad explanation. Neither is your birth control excuse, as long as we can get it verified." At a stoplight, he turns to look at me, his tone half wonderment, half praise. "Good job."

"It's what I'm here for," I smile. His words have an effect on my attitude. I already feel the need to do even better. "I also ask Mariah to be my maid of honor since she already knows everything."

"You've had a busy morning,"

"I figured we need to start working on it."

"We do. You'll also have some help coming your way. Yuriy, who you met -"

I mentally groan. "That man from your office. What about him?"

Kai chuckles. "He's close with the Fernandez twins. They're a noble family from Spain."

"And they like him?"

Apparently, he doesn't care that I'm insulting his friend, as he just carries on. "Julia Fernandez was the woman my grandfather was initially seeking out as a match for me,"

Regardless of whoever this woman is, my mind instantly conjures up a regal woman with dark, sultry features and long legs. I put this person next to Kai. I have to admit, it's a pretty great image, even if it does take me down a few pegs.

"Julia said no and then immediately told Yuriy what my grandfather was trying. Then Yuriy told me."

"Wait, she said no?" I ask, giddy at the thought. "To you?"

Kai's lips pull straight. He doesn't like the thought anyone would say 'no' to him. "I'm not heartbroken over it, either," he insists. "Anyway, the fake engagement was all Yuriy's idea, so of course he turned around and told Julia,"

He's being so loose with information! It's a roller coaster every time he starts speaking. "It was his idea for us to be engaged?"

"Well," Kai hesitates. We've either ventured in to uncomfortable territory or my obvious excitement is wearing on him. Whichever it is, I don't care. "He was joking, after hearing about why you were bringing me a candle. My back was against a wall and I was running out of time, so I just ran with it."

I laugh.

"What?" There's a tone of warning in his voice. Kai does not like being teased.

I side-eye him from the passenger seat. "Nothing." So much for him always being three steps ahead. Kai's got everyone fooled.

He heaves a sharp sigh. "The Fernandez's kindly volunteered their house manager to plan our wedding. He'll know the truth as well, so it'll be safe to speak around him."

A house manager? For a wedding?

"And you trust him? Them? All of them?" The list of people who know seems to be getting longer by the day. I'm not so sure this can be called a secret anymore.

Also, I'll have to make an actual list so that I can keep up.

"I trust the Fernandez family, and I trust Yuriy." Kai nods.

"And here I thought your trust was difficult to gain." I muse, smiling at his annoyance. Regardless, it's not my call in the end. I start counting on my fingers, "We have a fake wedding planner, a fake maid of honor, a fake bride, and a fake groom. Seem to be in a good spot for a fake wedding."

Kai pulls into the parking garage and drifts smoothly into a spot. "Do you think you can walk yourself up without getting into trouble?"

"I never had any trouble in my life until I met you," I reply as I open the door, "so, I think I'll be fine from here."

"I'll send Spencer to pick you up Tuesday for the meeting. By then Romero will be in town and you can have lunch with him to start the planning."

"Romero, the house manager slash wedding planner?" I ask, barely believing my own words. I promise him I'll be ready on time before closing the door. Walking around the car, I'm already lost in my own thoughts of how the evening went. Did I talk too much, was I too loud? Did I stand out like a dark stain on a white table cloth?

"Hilary?" Like last time, I turn. However, Kai is still in his car. The windows rolled down to reveal only his face. "My jacket," he says.

I feel the weight suddenly, the warmth it had been giving my shoulders and arms now feeling foreign. "Right," I slip it off and walk it back to the car. He takes it through the window with a small gesture of acknowledgment.

With nothing else to say, I leave. The halls are empty this late at night and I'm able to make it to the elevator without seeing anyone else. "What am I going to do?" I ask the silence as the metal box carries me the few floors up.

It's a rhetorical question anyway. Somewhere between his car and the elevator doors, I came to the sudden realization that I had asked Kai to share something personal with me and then he proceeded to not do that, at all. I spent the entire evening talking about myself, and while it was nice to finally get some things off my chest, Kai being overly informed about my cousins will not help our situation.

I get that Kai wants to keep his life private. I get that he doesn't want to share his deep dark secrets and whatever else he keeps in the cellars of his soul -

Okay, that's getting a bit much. But I need to know some things about him and his constant dodging of questions and vague statements, that I'm sure having meaning in the right context, do nothing for me or my nerves. He should know by now they're not made of steel.

Whether by carelessness or some other motive, Kai did reveal that he enjoys going after Gideon. There has to be something there, a reason why. And when he responded to my question about Kay, he showed that he's very aware of his family's less than lawful activities. That leaves so many questions. How far is he willing to go and does he plan on dragging me along? I know Kai won't tell me. That's why this is so aggravating.

I tap in the code of my front door, pushing it open with sluggish effort. Immediately I come to a standstill, noting that my kitchen light is on when I definitely turned it off. Movement in the living room draws my attention, as a man sets down the picture frame on the side table that I put there just this morning. I can recognize his back, even though we've only met once before.

"Hello, Hilary," Kai's grandfather says, turning to face me. His smile is mocking. He knows he's scared me. Standing half in the shadows of my living room, only his face is lit by the light of the kitchen. He's shorter than Kai, which I realize only now, but broader in the chest and shoulders. Both hands rest on the cane he has, though he doesn't seem to be struggling to stand.

I close the door, swallowing my breathing, fighting to keep my panic at bay until I figure out what to do. "How'd you get in here?"

"Spencer should have known to change the password. I'll let Kai know his goons are slipping."

"Kai's not here," I say. I step forward to put my things on the kitchen island, turning my back to him so I can discreetly dig my phone out of my purse. I quickly find Kai's contact and call the number. It's the only thing I can think of.

"Obviously I'm here to speak with you, stupid girl," he says while I do this.

My jaw clenches, keeping words from flying out. I place the phone behind my bag and turn back to him once I see that Kai's answers. "Then what can I do for you, Soichiro?"

His face remains neutral despite my familiarity. "This is part where I offer you an obscene amount of money for you to disappear and you turn it down because you think you're above all of that."

"Or because I have my eyes on a bigger goal, right?"

"I don't care if you really love Kai or not. This relationship has nothing to offer my family in terms of land or alliance, and therefore as far as I'm concerned, he's abandoning his duties as my grandson and the President of Hiwatari Enterprises by engaging in it."

"I don't see how,"

"I'm sure it's outside of your realm of understanding."

"Since you already know that I'm not going to betray Kai for your money, what is it that you're offering."

"Be in love. Let him whisk you away on fairytale vacations. And then let him come home to his wife of duty."

My jaw drops. "You want me to be the mistress? Why would I settle for that when I can have the man and the life that comes with it, name and all?"

"Because the step after offering you money is ruining your family."

I don't breathe. I can't breathe, knowing that Kai is listening to all of this. I don't know what he wants me to do and my mind is frantic as I try to find the proper response to please him and save my family.

"I'll leave you with that thought," Soichiro says, taking a step out of the shadows towards the front door. "Talk it over with my grandson and let me know when you've come to a decision. I do hope it's the right one."

His hand rests on the knob when he turns to me again. "Tell me, do you think Kai is a broken man that you can heal with the power of your love? Do you think he's innocent; simply a victim of this family? Has he told you where comes from and how he got here?"

I stare at him, hoping I come off as insulted and testy rather than clueless. He smiles and leaves without his answer. As soon as the front door shuts, I jump on the phone. The call has ended but the time stamp tells me that Kai at least heard most of it. Seconds later a text message comes through from him.

'I'll be in touch.'

"What?" I ask, shaking the phone. "What do you mean, you'll be in touch?"

I try calling but he doesn't answer. Setting the phone down, I put my hands on the counter to brace myself and focus on breathing.

Enough of this. I'm tired of being caught off guard, in the middle of their game with no information of my own to work with. I can't navigate blind. If Kai won't help, I'll have to do some snooping of my own. The last time I searched the Hiwatari name, I was looking for Kai's background in business. Maybe it's time to look for some family scandals.

For two days, I stay locked in my apartment, dragging the laptop from the bedroom to the living room to the kitchen. By Sunday evening, I've accumulated so much information, that I have difficulty navigating through my open tabs and take the chance to text Kai, asking for a printer. He still hasn't reached out since his grandfather's surprise visit, I note bitterly when all he replies with is 'ok'.

It arrives at my door Monday morning, no questions asked. I set it up and start printing article after article, creating a timeline for the Hiwatari family. There are contradicting theories and wildish accusations with very little evidence, but after muddling through all of that, I've managed to pull out some facts.

By the end of Monday, I sit in the middle of my living room with pages upon pages spread out around me, along with colorful highlighters and pens scattered about. The leftover cups of the coffee I've been pouring down my throat and remnants of sandwiches I've lived on for the past two days clutter the kitchen sink. I fear passing a mirror since I probably look crazy or like I should own one of those string boards that conspiracy theorists have.

Actually, some string would have been helpful.

With all this new information rolling around my head, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to face Kai in less than twelve hours. It feels like everything I've learned is going to bubble up out of my mouth. At the same time, I'm scared to remain silent. If even half of the conclusions I've drawn are true, then this family is more of a mess than anyone would believe.

I know I should turn everything off and call it a day, but I can't stop staring at an image on my screen. A young Kai exiting a car in his school uniform – a tiny suit that makes him look more grown than he is at the age of twelve. His face is small and round, and despite the frown he's giving the camera, it's easy to tell who he'll grow up to be. It's impossible not to recognize that serious expression as the same one he carries as an adult.

I open my phone to search out the folder I've put under password protection, even though that's not really necessary anymore. It was more for my sanity, anyway. Comparing the picture on my phone to the one on my laptop, I feel a deep sense of dread and warning. The thing that disturbs me the most is, even at that age, even though the picture, there's a charged energy that lurks there, behind his mask. In all the years since it's only grown.

Whatever it is that's driving Kai, it's all but consumed him.

Thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to read this! I really appreciate all of you, even the silent readers. I look forward to any comments if you're willing to share. Please have a safe week until next time - Konix

P.S. If you ever wonder why it seems like the chapter is being uploaded late, it's probably because I'm trying to figure out a chapter title. I suck at titles but love them too much to let it go.